2019 Buick Encore: What to check before buying

Turbocharger failure leads these reports. Cars sputter, lose power, and struggle to merge or climb hills, often with code P0299 or a wastegate fault. Some run rough and rock back and forth when accelerating. Reported failures range from 14,300 miles to about 67,000, with several between 50,000 and 67,000. Replacement turbos sometimes fail again. Related complaints describe coolant and oil leaks at the turbo or oil cooler, overheating, misfires, and a failed fuel pump control module. Check engine lights that keep coming back and stalling on the road are common.

Turbocharger failure leads these reports. Symptoms include power loss at highway speed, jerking, white smoke from the tailpipe, and the engine revving before the car moves. Mechanics blame a stuck wastegate or low oil pressure, and one turbo had already been replaced once for the same problem. Failures are reported at 63,360 and 63,500 miles and later. Other reports describe a burning oil smell before a stall, and coolant leaking into the cylinders at about 103,000 miles, which required taking the engine apart.

Failure to deploy in a crash is the main complaint. In most of the crash reports, the bags do not go off in front or side impacts at 20 to 35 mph. These reports list 7 injuries, including neck injuries, head strikes, and a brain injury. One report describes the side air bags going off on their own at about 35 mph. Other complaints describe a warning light that comes on at random and a passenger seat sensor that does not detect a passenger. One dealer could not fix that sensor after three visits.

The engine shuts off while driving and often takes the headlights and dash power with it, which leaves the car dark and hard to control in traffic. Mechanics often find no codes. In stop-start complaints, the engine will not restart at a light and the doors and windows stop working, trapping the people inside. In another, the car surged forward when the driver lifted off the brake and pinned the driver's legs. Other reports cover wipers that turn on and off by themselves and an engine that would not shut off.

Stalling in moving traffic is the most common complaint here. It sometimes comes with a check engine light and keeps happening after many dealer visits. Several reports describe the car creeping forward or bumping while in park, a hard jolt when the engine restarts after a stop-start shutoff, and a shifter stuck in park. One dealer found a failed transmission part that kept the car from locking in park and said there was no fix. Other reports cite a transmission pressure code with an oil leak, a cracked rear differential housing, and turbo valve faults that cause hard revving.

Brakes lock up while driving in several reports, including at speeds over 50 mph. In one case the car also would not shift until it sat turned off for a while. Dealers often find no codes. Other reports describe a pedal that sinks to the floor and has to be pumped, and a hard pedal with a burning front brake that came back after the calipers and pads were replaced. One owner reports pulsing when braking from uneven pad wear and worn rotors at 23,600 miles.

Lower control arms bend or break in these reports, with a loud clunk when braking. One arm snapped in two at 37,000 miles with no earlier warning signs. Another owner says a pothole can bend the arm near the ball joint, and that when the arm fails, the CV joint can pull out of the transmission. The remaining reports read more like engine trouble: power loss with a check engine light and a stability system message, leaks, hesitation, and the car lunging forward at a stop.

Sudden acceleration is the main complaint. In one crash, a car pulling into a parking space at very low speed shot forward, jumped a curb, and hit a building. Another owner reports three sudden acceleration episodes by 34,000 miles. The remaining report describes transmission problems: whirring, skipping while driving, and gears that do not downshift after acceleration.

Original Continental ContiProContact tires go flat within seconds at highway speed in these reports, right after the tire pressure warning comes on. A tire shop and roadside service blamed dry rot and split sidewalls, and the other original tires showed the same cracking. These failures came at about 40,000 to 44,220 miles. A separate report describes a sidewall cut or blowout on a tire with only 821 miles on it.